


come under the covers

by hardlystraight



Category: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Astrology, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Making Out, enoch has zero angst and a healthy outlet for his feelings :+), they are gays what did you expect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-23 08:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18546241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hardlystraight/pseuds/hardlystraight
Summary: Enoch and Jake work past hurdles like sprained wrists, nosey roommates, and dead people.  21st century stuff, you know?A chapter a day challenge, inspired by the meet-cute of another fic.  Alternate universe and without a century of age difference this time.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [He Owes Me A Drink](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8780854) by [poesmyboi (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/poesmyboi). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning for brief slur usage but the prick gets what he deserves. also 1k of explaining my characterisation of Enoch O'Connor in the notes below.

"Are you staying the night?" Enoch inquired, precisely folding the maroon sweater in his hands and moving onto the next one.

"Maybe. Do you want me to?" Jake laughed as the man across the room pegged a scarf at him affectionately. It was his own, he noticed, the one he was wearing when he arrived at Enoch's the night before.

"Don' be a wanker. I have errands to run but yer welcome to stay if yeh like. Cannae promise any excitement though."

It had struck Jake quite early just how reserved and quiet Enoch's personality was. When he had first hooked up with him, a brazen night after saving the man from drinking a spiked beverage, the allure had been there. He was wearing a sweater vest for Christ's sake. At a bar. That itself had been intriguing, but the gentleness of his movements, the order of Irish Cream Liquere with milk, his deep, warm brown eyes, all radiated softness and safety. He was gorgeous, and sweet.

His apartment was the same. Antique furniture meticulously dusted, ornate wooden and ceramic sculptures, a roaring fireplace and a woolen rug before it. Jake had eyed the spot with curiousity and meant to, at some point, convince Enoch to fool around in front of it. His chances seemed slim to none though - he could hear Enoch's scoff in his mind. The danger of the fire? Body fluids on his rug? Abominable.

Then of course, Enoch himself. Always on his bike with groceries in the front basket, or chatting bitingly on a corded landline between his ear and shoulder. Pulling baked goods out of the oven, checking his mailbox routinely when he arrived back from work. Jake didn't know what he did for a living, but assumed it was something equally as cottage-core ... maybe he worked at a bakery or for a home decor outlet. Perhaps he had a stall at a market.

There was something else, however. Something hidden. It struck him as a darkness at first, but now registered as fire. When they kissed and Jake tugged on his hair, when he snipped his plants with razorsharp clippers or diced mushrooms quickly and meticulously, the gleam of metal darting around his fingers, when his tone turned from rich and warm to dangerous.

And like when a stranger in a moving car called him a faggot from the street.  Once the car had stopped at a red light, Enoch had calmly crossed the road,took the glass bottle of apple juice he had finished drinking and hurled it into the windshield with such vigour that the entire screen turned white with tiny cracks. Proceeded of course, by a frantic race on foot from the driver and ending with them both in a back alley, laughing and panting against an exposed brick wall.  Among other things.

Enoch was full of tiny little surprises. He-

"Ey, Earth ta Jacob. You stayin' or not?" Jake blinked away his thoughts. Was he staying? With a start, he remembered that he had a shift at midday. What time was it?

He checked his watch. Fine. He still had an hour.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I actually have to run. I have a shift and Emma will put me on blast for wearing yesterday's outfit. Then she'll tell Olive and they'll both make fun of me." Enoch's looked him up and down, then peered at his neat stack of clothes.

"Here, wear this. Preserve yer dignity." Jake caught a maroon sweater, warm and heavy in his hands. It smelled like Enoch, he noticed, then winced. Was that creepy? They'd barely known each other for two months.

"Thanks, but the next time you throw some clothes at me can they be the ones you're wearing right n-" A flannel pyjama shirt hit him right in the kisser, and when he pulled it away, he saw Enoch, now shirtless and only in flannel pyjama bottoms, making his way across the bed. He stopped, face a few centimeters from Jake's own and close enough to feel each puff of breath.  He reached out a hand, fingers long and graceful as they played with the hair curling past Jake's ears, tracing the shape of his cheekbone.

"Wha' time is yer shift?" His voice was low, soft, and by now he had all but moved into Jake's lap.

"Twelve," he muttered back, making for Enoch's lips. Instead, he met air as the man on top of him leaned away, grabbing his flannel top back.

"You have work within the hour? Get out of bed ye fuckin' ejit." The lilt of humour was there, so Jake took no offense but instead pretended to mope about his missing kiss. He pouted, jutting out his bottom lip and making bedroom eyes at Enoch across the room. He ignored him, buttoning back up his pyjama shirt.

"I'll get out of bed for a kiss," he called, speaking around his pout. Enoch rolled his eyes and made his way over, finally giving Jake a quick, open-mouthed kiss that made his head spin a little. Jake grabbed the opening of his flannel shirt and mumbled "got you" into Enoch's mouth as they tumbled back into the sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a note on Enoch's characterisation:  
> I think that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a very creatively designed story that makes for incredibly entertaining storytelling.  
> However, the psychology of children in magical settings has always made me queasy. Children from the Harry Potter Universe, or Beautiful Creatures - even Coraline. In a world where there are literally no limits to what people can be changed into, how they look, what they do and how they act, ptsd is something that would severely affect one's ability to grow and trust.  
> The peculiar children face something else: they have to live the same day over and over again. If you shaved the day before, you will never grow a beard. Hell, if you're put in a loop at age 13, you won't even know what a beard would be like despite being well into your 90th year. Are they children? Are these people who have lived and thought and acted for over a hundred years ... are they adults?  
> Enoch is portrayed as someone quiet disturbed and sulky, but if I was 118 years old and living in the same house as a dead man, with a Hollow on the same island and a bomb ready to drop if we aren't quick enough to reset each day, I would be a difficult character as well. How the other children live and perform the same tasks all the time is beyond me.  
> I've characterised Enoch as the sort to be no-nonsense and caring - where his canon counterpart is brutal and possessive. I think that there's a case to be made where he was jealous of Emma as opposed to of Abe, and I think growing up as the only gay kid would have also been horrific, especially if he grew up in the early 20th century and would literally perish if he was ejected from the loop.  
> I think Enoch's character is certainly biting and cruel sometimes, but I personally would consider it torture to live perpetually in the middle of World War II, immortal but not allowed to explore. So this is how I think he would behave normally, given the chance to express himself.


	2. II

Once Enoch had finally thrown Jake out (in his sweater AND reminding him to take a coat because the cold was biting today) he let out a long exhale. Jake was loose and carefree which was both charming _and_ trying.

Regardless, he had work to do.

The plants in his garden had bloomed long enough to attract bugs and even a few mammals to his fruit trees. He opened his closet door and removed his gardening uniform, a jumpsuit, along with a button down and some trousers for underneath.  The gloves and boots were outside.

Amanda, his next door neighbour, sauntered outside while he was opening a trapdoor off to the side.  She nodded over at him, lit a cigarette, and coughed.

"God, what on earth is that smell?" Enoch snickered, pulling his gardening gloves tight over his hands.

"Fertiliser." She gagged a little, calling that he didn't need it, but not facing him to do so. The shutter door banged behind her and Enoch smiled.  At this rate, he could curb her smoking habit within a few months.

The burlap sack was heavy, but he was well used to lugging them around. He managed not to strain any muscles, lifted from the hips and not the back, but had still worked up quite a sweat by the time all the bags were out from under the trapdoor. He poured a container of hot soapy water into the cement compartment, a small opening at the edge of his garden, then closed it and hoped the soak would assist with the smell. Even if it didn't, the trapdoor was airtight.

A melodic jazz piece crooned out of his pocket radio and Enoch adjusted the volume a few notches before setting into his garden.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The sun had passed the peak of the day. His work had gone on for three hours and his garden had been harvested, watered, repotted and trimmed where appropriate. Balance had been restored, he thought, proud, and began the clean-up process. There was a tapping nearby, and with a start, he realised it was coming from the walkway into his garden. He poked his head around the corner and saw a pair of black pleather boots making their way towards him. Jacob winked when they made eye contact and ruffled his hair once they were close enough.

"Smells almost as bad as-as my laundry hamper," he tried, though the humourous tone dived as he choked halfway through. Enoch tried to look sympathetic behind the mask and gestured towards his apartment.

"Go inside, I'll join you in a -wait!"

"What the hell is this stuff?" Jacob made for the empty bag, but Enoch kicked it away.

"You don' want ta know. Head on in, I'll just be 10. Key is on the white table over there." Jake rose his hands in surrender and grabbed the key, walking away with a tapping sound as he made his way back around.

The sweat on Enoch's body was uncomfortable and he was overheated, but the day would be over soon. He could have a good clean once the backyard was finished.

The hose was first, all around the floor and under the pots. Then he used a chemical sanitiser to rub over any surface that wasn't alive and gathered, then, all of his equipment and put them in a vinegar solution. He could take them out in the morning.

Thankfully, the door was open and he was able a to make a beeline for the bathroom. He saw Jacob, resting in an armchair and a few pages into one of the books from his shelf. From the looks of the cover, it was 'The Charioteer' by Mary Renault.

"It's only since it's been made impossible that it's been made so damned easy." He quoted softly, hands three buttons down on his shirt. "It's got like prohibition, with tha bums and the crooks making fortunes out of hooch, everyone who might have had a plate losing it, nobody caring how you hold yer liquor, you've been smart enough if you get it at all." He knew the paragraph like the back of his hand, and closed his eyes in remembrence.

"Yeh can't make good wine in a bathtub in the cellar, you need sun and rain and fresh air, you need a pride in the job you can tell the world about." Jacob was watching him, still and silent. They met eyes until the contact became intense enough for Enoch to break it, flushing. "Only you can live without the drink if yeh have to, but you can't live without love."

"I haven't gotten to that part yet," the taller man mumbled, shifting in the armchair that seemed a little too small for his frame. Enoch shrugged, undoing the rest of his button down and peeling off his undershirt.

"One a' the first times I felt connected to people like me. Funny that it was written by a fuckin' Tan." Jacob glanced at the cover again, pondering.

"Well she was a lesbian who emigrated wasn't she? Probably not the patriotic type."

"Type to take advantage of Sassanach imperialism perhaps."

"You've l-" Jacob startled, doing a double take and slamming the book closed once he noticed Enoch had shed his shirt.

"Oh, right into it are we?"

"Calm down, horndog," Enoch laughed, unbuttoning his trousers, also. "I'm filthy, try again a bit later why don' you?" Jacob shrugged, appearing nonchalent as he turned back to the book.

Contaminated clothes successfully in the basket and shower hot enough to scold, Enoch breathed a long, long sigh of relief as the water hit him. For a few moments he stayed like that, calm, still, brain blissfully quiet.

Then, back to present. There was a handsome young man in his living room and he intended to get down to business at SOME point today.

There were several bottles and soaps lining the shower wall, and he started with the harshest cleansing soap he had for his hands, arms and feet. Then, for the scented felt soap for his soles and underarms, the lavender infused body scrub for his outer shoulders (it kept his backne at bay), a neutral body wash, a facial cleanser, and body butter to keep his skin smooth. He heard a gentle rapping of knuckles on the bathroom door halfway through his body butter, and laughed.

"It's later," Jacob reasoned, making his way in. They stared at each other, silent for a few seconds. Enoch, amused and exasperated, and Jacob apparently enthralled by the shimmer of Enoch's skin under water.

"Then hop in," Enoch said, turning to face Jacob fully and watching with curious delight as a heavy pink blush made its way onto his cheeks, connected over the bridge of his nose. They were two pale young men, and it was obvious when one was blushing or bruised, of which Jake was both. The night before had been quite the rough-and-tumble.

There was a haste to Jacob's disrobing, resulting in the man hopping once or twice and trying to yank off shoes, socks, and pants in one go. Ridiculous.

By the time he was as gloriously naked as Enoch, Jacob also had a thin sheen of sweat on his browbone, one Enoch was acutely aware of when he pressed their foreheads together and initiated a toe-curling kiss. Enoch pulled him into the shower and closed the clear door. God forbid the floor become a slippery hazard.

Jacob's hands pressed into his hips, the dimples above his arse and the creases of his back. They roamed every which way while Enoch's stayed on Jacob's neck, holding furtively as he felt the urge to sway. His knees put up a valient effort with the strain of staying upright while Jacob's tongue lazily stroked his own. Once and a while, he would bite down on his bottom lip, eliciting an involuntary groan and tremble from Enoch and a smug smile from Jacob.

Eventually Enoch put his foot down. The shower was not appropriate for activities that led ones body to rebel, no matter how enjoyable it was. He led Jacob to the bathtub instead, and turned on the tap so the basin would slowly fill while they reclined, safer, against the lip of the tub. Jacob had laughed at him, but it was worth it to be able to move his hips back and forth and back again, to wrap his thick thighs around Jacob's hips and teasily duck out of reach once or twice.

At one point, things got heated enough for Jacob to sit on the edge, Enoch between his thighs and kissing his pelvis, looking up from his lashes to keep an eye on his reactions. Jacob had cursed breathily, knocked his head against a tall shelf, cursed again in irritation and managed to curse one more time when a bathbomb toppled down and slipped out of his grip. Immediately, a citrus smell emerged and the tub became frothier. There were apologies, laughter, and eventually the decision to keep all limbs inside the tub at all times.

Once they were pink and pruned from the soak, the two of them slowly walked towards the bed, clothes redundant at this point. The afternoom sun was a golden beam on their warm, satiated bodies, and all Enoch needed to do was prop the window open for fresh air and he fell immediately into a slumber, head propped on Jacob's back

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When he woke, Jacob was reading beside him, reading glasses perched cutely on his upturned nose.

"Nerd," he mumbled, reaching a slow finger to trace the wire frame.

"Yeah, one of my best kept secrets. I have a mild case of astigmatism." He took Enoch's fingers and gave them a gentle kiss. "Any dark secrets of your own?" Enoch laughed quickly, withdrawing his hand.

"Nothin' you should know about."

"Cryptic bastard," Jacob hummed, making a grab for his hands again. It was dark out by now, and Jacob had lit a small vanilla candle at his bedside and the portable reading lamp. "Is your big secret that you don't have any technology more advanced than this lamp from IKEA?" Enoch bumped his shoulder, no force behind it out of laziness or his amiable disposition, one or both.

"Yer right, I'll have to send you a carrier pigeon the next time I wan' a booty call." He hoped the conversation would move elsewhere. Jacob huffed a half-laugh and pulled his glassed off, flipping onto his back and staring unfocused at the ceiling.

"What's your occupation, I never asked? Did you emigrate here for it from- er, Scotland?" Enoch drew a breath.

"Congrats on pinnin' the accent, I am Scottish. Left the mother country over a misunderstanding, actually." Jacob blinked a few times and looked him over, eyebrow raised in query. "Not because I'm gay, over somethin' else."

"Okay," he mumbled, not pressing. Enoch appreciated that.

"'Nd I sell plants for a living. Got a market stall and I purchase dead or dying plants and give them new life.  Sell seeds and offcuts." Jacob laughed, seemingly at an inside joke with himself, then looked over.

"I noticed your garden. Beautiful colours, very vibrant. What's your secret?"

"I use human eyeballs, but only ones with mild astigmatism," Enoch replied, deadpan. There was a brief silence before he let out a chuckle, and Jacob pushed him with the same good-natured effort as Enoch had done a few moments earlier.

"Don't mess with me like that!" Enoch ruffled his hair as irritatingly as he knew how - informed by Jacob's practise - but he seemed to just nuzzle closer to Enoch and slump forward on a long exhale.

"Wha' are ye doin' ye big oaf..." Enoch said, affection creeping into his voice unbidden.

"Play with my hair again," Jacob murmured, shifting closer. And Enoch obeyed.


	3. III

Emma clicked her tongue at him as Jake sheepishly pulled the door closed.

"Next time I have the apartment to myself, let me know. I'll see if I can get laid as often as you seem to be." Jake scoffed.

"Knowing you and Olive, you'd still be going by now." Emma was at the kitchen sink, gloves on, and turned around to hurl soapy water in his direction.

"Get clean, asshole. Then help me out with dinner."

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"There's something strange about him, I can't explain it." Emma snagged another heap of noodles with her chopsticks and loaded them onto her plate.

"Like quirky strange or serial killer strange?" Jake shrugged, and Emma paused in grabbing beef and veggies out of the pot. "It's an important distinction, Jake."

He looked seriously at Emma and tried to think.

"Somewhere in between," he decided. "Like dangerous, but not towards me. Just a penchant for this strange, fiery passion that can be violent ... at times. And only towards people who deserve it." Emma rolled her eyes.

"And who could possibly deserve vi- wait, never mind," she said, slurping up a few noodles. Jake laughed.

"Either way, he seems to have it under wraps. His home is this amazing outercity apartment with a massive garden and a huge fireplace. No idea how he affords it, to be honest." He stuck back into dinner - honey soy beef with noodles - while Emma mulled it over.

"Jake, listen," she started, swallowing hard and placing her hand on his, "Sometimes if you get a bad vibe from someone, it's for a reason. I know he's cute, I do have eyes, but just think very seriously about how far you want to take this. Once the honeymoon phase is done, are you going to see his weird big antique apartment as charming or unnerving? Maybe you should ask questions about why he can afford it while selling plants? And how do you know this strange streak of violence isn't going to turn on you at some point?"

"I've asked him questions, he just changed the subject a lot."

"Jake,"

"I know!" he said quickly, "I know it's fishy. But he cared about me when I got my nose busted over him and I was a complete stranger then. I don't think he would hurt me." Emma rose an eyebrow and twirled some noodles in her chopsticks."

"Okay, just be careful, alright?" He nodded, letting the two of them fall into comfortable silence once again.

For a while, the clink of their cutlery was all that was heard, alongside quiet chatter from outside their window and a faint beat coming from their upstairs neighbour.

"How about you and Olive?" he asked tentatively, and she immediately beamed. Success, then.

"Great, actually. Saw a movie together and made out in the back of the cinema. I haven't done that since I was like ... 16." Jake coughed on his meal.

"What film?"

"Oh, just some action flick. Saw some guy get beheaded when I came up for breath." Jake choked again. "Either way, it's going great. Our 1 year anniversary will be here pretty soon." She opened her mouth so say something else, then closed it. Jake waited for her to continue, but she just stuffed noodles and bok choy into her mouth.

"...What?" he finally prodded, and she shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Not nothing, tell me," he opened his brows and tried to appear as understanding as possible, "c'mon, Emma."

"I'm worried she's going to pull something," Emma finally declares. "Like ask to move in or get a puppy or something like that." Jake didn't quite know how to respond to that, and took a while mulling it over.

"Where do you want the relationship to go?" He managed, and Emma put her plate aside. Right, that meant they were going to have a serious conversation, then. He did the same.

"I want kids in my future, so obviously I want a future with someone. It's just hazy at the moment for Olive, and she doesn't even let me see her naked yet. I feel like if she isn't going to be vulnerable like that, how on earth does she expect to live together?" Jake pursed his lips, deep in thought, then pressed his fingers together.

"Do you know definitively she wants to take a leap forward?"

"Not really, I'm just worried that something might get sprung on me." Okay, so it was paranoia.

"Emma, just leave it. Relationships aren't meant to worry you, they're supposed to benefit you, so don't spend time being anxious over something that isn't even a reality right now. Wait until you know it's an actual issue." Emma nodded slowly, then dropped her head to the table.

"Thanks. And talk to Enoch!" Jake rolled his eyes and grabbed his plate again.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Never really had a green thumb," Jake mutters, nibbling on an olive and spitting out the pit. His feet were on the small white garden table Enoch had set up off to the side, and he was reclining back on a matching white chair. He had specific instructions not to touch the plants or the fertiliser which, to be honest, was fine with him. He had a tupperware container of pickles and olives, and apparently both were loved by Enoch's culinary pallette. Which meant he got to hand-feed Enoch while he worked. A mutually beneficial arrangement.

Enoch hummed in response, pouring out fertiliser and massaging it into the soil. The plant immediately straightened and the leaves seemed to reach out.

"That's weird," Jake says, eyeing the plant. "Like are you using witchcraft or something? How come the plants just obey you?"

"Har har," Enoch deadpanned, placing the pot on a shelf directly in yellow sunlight. "I'm just good with my hands." He sneaked a look at Jake and winked. "You would know all about that, huh?" Jake shook his head.

"No flirting while it's blistering hot and the backyard smells like the inside of my granddad's intestine." Enoch laughed, quick and biting, but got back to work.

He was just finishing watering a lime tree when a peek of white showed up in the dirt.

"Ugh, I thought I got rid of these," he tutted, taking what looked like a piece of plastic and throwing it in a burlap sack. Jake peered at it from his viewpoint, but couldn't see much. It didn't look much like plastic - too porous and organic in shape. While he was watching, another joined it in the bag. He could see this one better, it was elongated and sharp, with a few concave curves cut out. They reminded him of something, but he wasn't sure what.

"There's a few more in here, but whatever. They're biodegradable anyway." Jake frowned at the bag, now joined by a small collection Enoch had made. They rattled when he tossed the bag into his organic matters bin with the other sacks. Plastic wasn't biodegradable, and it certainly wasn't organic. So what were they?

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Olive invited me out tomorrow night." Jake looked up from the bubbling chicken and rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, on your anniversary." Emma nodded tersely.

"Yeah." They stood in silence for a few seconds until Jake flipped the chicken. Then he put down the spatula.

"I can call you at a designated time if you like? If you need a fake emergency to leave early." Emma shook her head, then turned it into a nod.

"Actually yeah, message me at 5:30 saying you slipped and sprained your wrist or something."

"On it."

"But don't call me, in case it goes well. Fuck. I don't know what to think." She put her head in her hands and slumped into her usual dining room chair. Jake took the pan off the heat and moved over to put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just people, Emma. You don't have to see her every day. If you aren't meant for each other then that's all there is. Just talk things out, you know?" Emma nodded, smiling a little tearily and leaning her head on Jake's shoulder.

"Look at us, two Bi's in a bind." Jake scoffed.

"Speak for yourself, I'm perfectly happy. Though I did notice something weird in Enoch's fertiliser and I'm not sure what to think." Emma cocked her head to the side.

"Is that an innuendo for something? Does he have hemerroids?"

"Get fucked," Jake whined, grateful that Emma was feeling better but not up for imagining that awful image. "At least I'm not dating a fire sign."

"You're dating a Cancer, water signs are even worse! And Cancers are like dumb Pisces, you know that." Jake blew a raspberry and went back to the chicken.

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The next night, after a solid 5-hour shift at the store, Jake collapsed into bed and picked up the book he had snatched from Enoch's shelf. It was surprisingly intriguing and had the same sense of poshness that Enoch exuded in all of his dumb button ups and sweater vests.  Jake wondered if he developed the habits on his own or because the whole United Kingdom was like that.  Thinking about Enoch distracted him for a second, because of course whenever Enoch stripped off his sweater and unbuttoned his shirt ... and peeled off his undershirt ... it-

The sound of his alarm made him startle slightly and he checked his phone. Right, 5:30. He needed to message Emma.

[to: idiot air sign roommate]

hey really sorry i know you're on a date rn but i slipped and hurt my wrist real bad. can u help me out?

[from: idiot air sign roommate]

you aren't going to believe this

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The hospital smelled clean and musky at the same time, which Jake admitted to feeling unnerved at. People in scrubs and long white coats darted around him and once he was at the reception, he cleared his throat. The receptionist didn't look up.

"Um, excuse me my friend sprained her wrist, do you-"

"Level 5," the dude said, continuing filing or whatever he was doing. Jake said 'thanks' because he was raised with manners thank you very much, and made for the elevator. A few people were already waiting, and someone had a clipboard in her hand and a phone to her ear.

"No, one or two can be preserved but most of them can't." Jake fiddled his thumbs and noticed the elevator coming down to their level. The ride up, the lady continued talking.  "There are a few people who can take them off our hands, I know the guy off Barker Lane will take another, and his fee is way lower than the Church. Yeah, O'Connor something." Jake furrowed his brow and walked out of the open lift. Surely they weren't discussing Enoch, whose last name rang familiar but escaped his memory. He lived on Barker Lane, didn't he?

It wasn't his concern, soon he was marching towards the designated room that Olive messaged him about and saw Emma upright on a hospital bed with Olive on a chair, leaning on her leg. Emma had a splint on and a doctor was talking through the recovery process. He knocked gently on the door and everyone glanced at him.

"Your boyfriend?" The doctor asked, and Olive laughed obnoxiously.

"She sprained her wrist while fingering me, so I should hope not." The doctor immediately went red and turned back to the clipboard in front of her. He threw Emma a thumbs up for the action, then listened while the procedure for such an injury was told in length.

It wasn't severe, they said, just that she needed to wear a splint for it and couldn't use it for a while. It had to rest. Apparently it would probably be mended within 6 weeks, but she had to take it easy. No rigorous exercise.

Emma was released that night, and Jacob rubbed his eyes. He was about ready to fall asleep.

"Thanks for coming out, I couldn't bear to pay for an UBER and, well, Olive can't drive, so."

"It's no worries. Saw those x-rays though, pretty cool. Are you in pain?" Emma shook her head and passed the envelope over, reaching with her non-dominant hand to hold onto Olive's.

It took a few moments to kick in. Jake had a serious look at the images and the light was low in the parking lot, so it was difficult. But once he noticed it, he couldn't unsee it. Every way he turned it, the bone looked the same.

"It's not plastic." Jake shook his head slowly, then brought one hand up to massage his temples.

"Sorry, Jake?" Emma asked, holding back a smile. She and Olive bumped shoulders behind him, but he didn't pay attention. This couldn't be happening.

"It's not plastic," he repeated, sheathing the envelope and setting a quicker pace for the car.

"Jake, what on earth do you mean?"

"They're bones, Emma."


	4. IV

When he had hurriedly told her that he had something to do and that the house would be free for an hour or so, Emma and Olive both grinned in synchronicity. He at least had the forethought to ban them from the couch or his favourite armchair before he left. And now, he was here, fist a centimeter from Enoch O'Connor's house on Barker Lane.

He drew his hand back.

And knocked.

There was silence for a few seconds, then the peephole in the door was covered by a figure on the other end. Enoch pulled open the door and blinked at him, clearly sleep-muddled.

"Wha's goin' on?" he asked, stepping aside for Jacob to come inside. He stayed rooted to his spot, though.

"You use dead bodies as fertiliser," he stated. Enoch looked at him blankly, then pressed the pads of his fingers into his eyes.

"Jacob-"

"Are you going to deny it?" Enoch scoffed,

"Of course I am," he said, firmly, and pulled Jake inside, "Just not out in the street."

Once the door was closed, Enoch drew a deep breath and put out his hands in front of him in a calming, placating gesture. "Okay, I'm not going to deny it, but-" Jake's jaw slackened and his eyes went wide in disbelief.

"You DO use human eyes-"

"Oh come on, I use lots of different things. Its the remains of people who aren't claimed, lots of elderly people or criminals or anyone else disowned by their family who die alone. Sometimes even victims from disasters that can't be identified. Burned bodies actually work the best, but we don't get them very often-"

"Stop, stop." Jake said, hands over his mouth and shaking his head solemnly. "I can't believe this. I'm dreaming."

"Why do you think I'm so incredibly meticulous about my backyard, my clothes, my equipment? Why I never offer limes or oranges or tomatoes to take home?" God, he was about to heave. This was too much, it was unethical. But of course he could afford an apartment if he was getting paid by the hospital to dispose of dead people. Holy Shit. "Oh come on, it's just dead bodies as fertiliser. Graveyards use the same thing!"

"It's not the same thing!" Jake hollered, then regretted it. It kind of was the same thing wasn't it? If nobody was going to claim them anyway, it seemed peaceful and kind to give them new life with plants. "Sorry," he added.

Enoch shrugged. "It's fine. Most people have the same reaction when they find out. Usually I tell them, how did you figure it out?"

"Saw a wrist bone the other day and matched it to my friend's x-ray of her hand. God, fuck this is unbelievable. This is your big secret?" Enoch shrugged, padding into his bedroom and moving back between the sheets.

"Yeah. That and my parents were undertakers. At one point I was examining a body, wanting to understand what it was made of, why it had stopped working. I had undressed it and was examining hair growth when my parents caught me. I was 23 at the time, and they assumed that I was trying to fuck the corpse."

"They WHAT?"

"They hadn't been too pleased when I came out, and this was their next logical step. Homosexual, necrophiliac. It's fine though, I'm quite glad we aren't in contact anymore. A blessing in disguise.

"And before you ask, I did train to be a coroner a few years ago, but I dropped out. I'm afraid the slow, simple life is for me." Jake sighed, trying to take this all in. Right, so the guy he was seeing was a little loopy. That's fine, they all were. Humans have weird habits. Even habits like using other people as fertiliser. Fuck!

"I'm ... fine, it's fine. I'll call you, but I have to go," Jake said, letting out a sigh. Enoch shifted on his feet and crossed his arms.

"Will you?" he asked, eyebrow raised. Jake looked him over a few times. It wasn't that bad, was it? So Enoch wasn't all cottage-core, prim and proper, warm and soft. No one is one thing. And Enoch seemed to be one of the few people Jake did know who was surprisingly well-adjusted.

He would call Enoch. But it was curbing 8:30 and he wanted to go to bed.

Jake stepped forward, cupped Enoch's face in one hand and pressed their foreheads together.

"Promise," he murmured. Enoch's hand came up to rest on his elbow and he leaned into a kiss. It was sweet and tender, just like Enoch, so once he needed to breathe, Jake pulled out his phone.

"Can I stay here for the night?" Enoch smiled blindingly in the dim room and pulled him towards the bed.

  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ~~~~

"So did you make a mistake?" Emma's tinny voice came through Jake's bluetooth speaker, working alright for once. It was usually a 1 in 60 chance.

"No I was right! He uses unclaimed bodies as fertiliser." There was a silence on the other end and Jake sneaked a glance at his dashboard.

"Emma? You there?"

"So you STAYED THE NIGHT!?" He rushed to turn down the volume as Emma continued chewing him out over the phone until eventually Olive's voice was heard calming her down.

"I know, I know babe. But Jake what were you thinking?' Jake shrugged and changed lanes.

"He's just a bit quirky. It really isn't that weird once you've had a think about it." Emma tutted, told him to come home asap, then hung up. Made sense, he would probably do the same thing.

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Once he dropped his keys in the basket, Emma appeared in their doorway, arms awkwardly folded with the splint. Olive was behind her, looking half scared and half interested in what Emma was going to do.

"So clearly you're fine. He didn't chop you into pieces and eat you. Oh wait, that isn't his style, is it? He would have used you to grow his fucking tomato tree and then eaten the fucking harvest."

"Emma-"

"You could have been on the news, Jacob! you could have been one of those cold cases and had a docuseries about your disappearance! Why are you not seeing how bloody absurd this is?" Jake eventually put his hands out to calm her.

"Emma, the worst part about this is the way it sounds. I promise I was equally as horrified when he confirmed it to me, but its fine. These people have no one to take their remains. The cause of death is confirmed. The graveyards around here fill up quickly because it's a densely populated city. And he's giving them new life! He doesn't sell the actual fruits, just healthy cuts from the plants so that people can grow their own. With normal soil. Its just like cultivating a garden on a graveyard, just ... you know, intentionally. And it does wonders for the plants!" Emma tongued her cheek and shook her head.

"No. What kind of person is okay touching dead people every day? That strangeness about him that you mentioned - this is it! He enjoys working with corpses, Jake, thats the biggest red flag I've ever seen! What if he touches them or som-"

"He wouldn't." He said it firmly and it cut Emma off. She gave him a tired look, and he stared it down. "He has a great respect for the dead, and he understands the importance of hygiene when it comes to working with them. His parents were undertakers." Emma finally relaxed a little, then turned out of the doorway to collapse on the couch.

"Jake, you could find ANYONE else and they're statistically going to be absolutely normal compared to this dude." Jake didn't say that it wouldn't be a good thing, they were still on thin ice.

"Invite him over," she finally said, no room for questions. Jake nodded. Fine. Eventually she was going to have to fold to Enoch's charm. Jake certainly had.

"Fine," he replied agreeably, but Emma sat up.

"I'm serious, Jake. And one bad move and he's ejected from this house. So will you if you don't stop acting like a dumbshit." Jake sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[to: crybaby]  
hey are you free tmrw evening? emma wants to interrogate u  
  
[from: crybaby]  
im always free lol  
  
...  
  
[from: crybaby]  
i better not still be "crybaby" in ur contacts

  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Dinner was a recipe that Emma had found online, with ingredients courtesy of a grocery run Olive had done before arriving. Emma had invited her for "no reason" but Jake knew what the implication was. Here's a proper relationship, Jake, please take notes and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. The joke was on her though, he wasn't dating a Sagittarius.

The meal was a penne pasta dish with pine nuts and a sweet fruit salad. Olive had side-eyed the condensed milk dressing, but recinded any critique once she tried it. She had also brought a container of creme caramel, browned on top with a butane torch, for desert.

Enoch was set to arrive at 5.

And boy, did he show up. Instead of long-sleeved button downs and sweater vests, he had clearly dug through his wardrobe and found items for the onset of summer. A white polo, buttoned up to the throat, and floral pink shorts with the silhouette of a pair of slacks. In the crook of his elbow sat a bomber jacket of the same print, and he held a tray of cling-wrapped finger food in both hands. When Jake opened the door he felt drool instinctively gather at the sight of Enoch's biceps, now framed with gray trim that matched his collar.

"Are you wearing makeup?" Jake asked, taking his jacket first and hanging it up before taking the tray. It looked like salmon with goat's cheese and parsely on slices of a rye baguette. Tasteful.

"Aye, a bit o' rouge 'nd some lip gloss. Want a taste?"

"Well, I-" before he could stutter out a response, Enoch took his arm and gently swayed him on his feet, closing the distance between them. It was sweet and tender, with the same hint of fire that always burned in Enoch, a sharpness. Enoch was grazing his teeth over Jake's bottom lip when there was the sound of a cleared throat beside them. Jake lept back, jostling the tray while Enoch slowly resumed his posture, fixing up his gloss. Emma was staring daggers at the both of them, but didn't move to kick Enoch out. Rough start.

"I know we met at the bar, but Emma this is Enoch, we've been seeing each other for a while. Enoch, this is Emma, she knocked out that guy for you, and is my roommate slash coworker. And this is her girlfriend, Olive."

"Nice to meet you," Olive grinned from beside Emma, holding out a hand.

"Likewise," Enoch replied, taking it with a warm smile of his own. He held a hand out to Emma who simply glanced down at it.

"I wouldn't be fucking your roommate if I wasn't exact about my hygiene procedures," he stated, not taking his hand away. Emma appeared surprised, but thankfully not scandalised, where Olive giggled. She eventually took Enoch's hand and gave it a firm shake before leading the way into the dining room.

"Lovely appetisers, did you use food from your garden?" Enoch looked sidelong at the tray in Jake's hand, then back to Emma.

"Aye, the salmon tree has been doin' well this season," he said seriously, "And I picked the fetta off the branch this mornin'."

"Go easy on her, Enoch," Jake finally sighed, setting the tray on their table and peeling back the wrap, "But thank you for these, they look great."

"Taste better," Olive said, mouth full. Emma looked like she was near trembling with rage, but took one anyway. Olive was right, they were good. And eating seemed to alleviate Emma's mood, if only a little.

"The place looks lovely, Jake hasn't had me here yet," Enoch said, moving to take a seat while Emma took the opportunity to look down at him.

"Perhaps he thought Alexa would freak you out," she intoned, taking another bite. "I suppose disembodied voices in your line of work would mean something had gone horribly wrong."

"How considerate of him," Enoch replied, not acknowledging the second jab, "Since I don't make it a point to bolster the funds of someone who deserves the guillotine." Olive laughed at that, clearly not invested in her girlfriend's grudge, but Emma simply smiled.

"I suppose your personal stake in overthrowing capitalism would be all the dead people you could use to grow some fucking herbs." Enoch paled slightly under his rouge.

"Like parsley?" He asked, taking another appetiser and tonguing the herb on top into his mouth. Emma took a tea towel out from the string of her apron and made for the kitchen.

"Use peppercorns or dried oregano, then we'll talk. You season like a 1940s housewife." She came back out with a jar and a grinder, then proceeded to dust the food in seasoning. When Jake tried it again, it did taste better, but he was supposed to be on Enoch's side here.

"At least I don't dress like one," the man in question sniped, and Emma looked a few seconds away from grating pepper into his eyes. Well, he didn't appear to need defending at least.

  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Dinner was strange. It could have been awkward, but the rapport between Emma and Enoch was, while biting and aggressive, entertaining. Jake tried to hide his smiles behind his hands, but Olive had no such qualms and chortled at each well placed remark. Enoch certainly seemed to enjoy the pasta and salad, and when the desert came his eyes sparkled. They ate not in silence, but to the backdrop of snarky insults and backhanded snark that always maintained a quirky sense of civility. Eventually, Enoch stood, thanked everyone profusely for the meal, then excused himself on the pretense that it was coming up on ideal graverobbing hours. Emma asked if he had an alarm for that sort of thing before apologising because "of course clocks weren't invented for a while after you were born."

  *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Emma didn't say anything once the door closed. Neither of them did, just stood in awkward silence until finally Olive broke it from the kitchen.

"I think he was fun!" Emma frowned at that and opened her mouth, but Olive continued, oblivious.

"I think he noticed the tension and provoked it, which is what I do sometimes. and every time you had a jab for him, he bounced it right back. Usually only I can do that!" Emma looked begrudging about the remark, then went to speak again.

"I imagine it's pretty lonely out here as a Scottish ex-pat, gay and single, on the outskirts of town. Imagine that he'd do a lot to keep his plants thriving if they're his only company. And I reckon if I died, I would like to return to the soil and maybe foster growth for another life form. Sounds like a bit of an honour." Emma lost her wind after that, rubbing her eyes and letting out a long exhale.

"He's fun to be around, I just don't trust him."

"You don't have to," Jake said, "Trust me." Emma pursed her lips, looked at Olive coming out of the kitchen, hopeful smile on her lips, then nodded.

"Fine, you have my blessing. Just don't go near his plants, for Christ's sake."

"Is that an innuendo?" He got a dirty napkin thrown in his face for his efforts.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i keep extending this but i just fell head over heels for these characters.... too bad tim burton made gave the only actor of colour a villian lmao hello racism


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final chapter! have a few more wips from this movie yet to be published but I'll probs do some other stuff before that. thanks for sticking with it, and everyone who commented is a total angel!

Enoch leaned up and gave him a brief kiss once he was through the threshold and Jake smiled into it. It was nice - a sweet and domestic way to greet one another that had happened with increasing frequency as of late.

"Good morning," Jake beamed, cupping Enoch's face briefly with his left hand before moving into the house and setting down a bag with his right. "I brought you a gift from Emma; its almost an apology." Enoch barked out a laugh when he saw what was in the bag: two tubs - of peppercorns and dried oregano - and a mortar and pestle. He took them from Jake and moved to the kitchen, opening an ornate upper cabinet above the stove to slot in the containers.

"Thoughtful of her. I assume she got the bouquet I sent?" Jake nodded from the other room, leaning against the dining table.

"Yeah she really liked them. Told me to tell you "they're just alright", though." Enoch smiled privately, adjusting the mortar beside his array of chopping boards.

"We ought to have a potluck like that more often. I do want you and Emma to be on better terms." Jake made sure he made eye contact with Enoch when he said it. "I mean it."

"I'd like to be on better terms as well, believe me, but I cannae exactly compromise on my work." Jake nodded in acquiescence.

"Yeah. Do you have any work to do today?" Enoch shrugged and started walking towards the kitchen, adjusting the baby blue apron around his waist.  
"Got it all done in the morning. Just some harvesting 'n' watering, most of them will be happy just to sit in the sun. Do yeh have a shift today at the store?"  
"Not today, tomorrow though. Which means," he intoned slowly, "we have the whole day together." Enoch gave him a once over and tongued his cheek, making it pop out slightly. Jake felt his blood run hot - and south - and made the immediate executive decision to get across the room, to Enoch, as fast as possible.

When they met, arms around waists and hands cupping jawlines, Jake felt a strange sort of fire ignite within each individual cell - a hurry, a desire, a need for more. Enoch smiled into their kiss before taking Jake's hair in his hand, pulling it firmly and slowly back, so that he could run his teeth down his neck. Jake choked out a soft moan, then a louder one, until all he could do was pant and whine while Enoch lavished his neck. It was almost like a darkness within him, craving Enoch above all else - his pleasure, his body, his breathy voice that became near incoherent when he felt good.

Jake brushed a finger over his clothed nipple and Enoch very nearly buckled in his arms.

"Be'room," he panted, letting go of Jake's hair and shoving him playfully in the general vicinity of the room. Jake yanked off his outer layers - coat, jumper, even hopping out of his shoes - before getting through the doorway and collapsing onto the bed.

Enoch followed, apron first, then unbuttoning his shirt and trousers while Jake was finishing disrobing. The heat within him burned brighter, compelling him to grab at Enoch while his undershirt was still on and pull him into another searing kiss, one that made a faint tremor run through Enoch's body, hot under Jake's palms.

"Wha's go'en ent' you?" Enoch laughed, pulling back and stroking Jake's hair. "You alrigh'?"

Jake blinked a few times, then took a deep breath. On the exhale, he nuzzled Enoch's neck.

"I dunno, just feeling like ... some type of way I guess." Enoch carded his hands through Jake's fringe, absently tapping on his bare back with the other hand.  The man's propensity to sway into a thicker Scottish accent when he was aroused certainly was fanning whatever flame had ingited in Jake's gut.

"A sense of je ne sais pas?" Jake hummed in assent.  "You've got a strange energy about you today." Jake shrugged. It was true. He felt like a pipe ready to burst.

"I'm horny, are you gonna help me out with it or not?" Enoch laughed, once again burying a hand in Jake's hair and holding it back.

"That's it. There's always been a casual flippancy about you, even when we hook up. You seem desperate today." Jake blinked. That was true. He was really _really_ turned on, and he was totally in a fog. He hadn't been like that since he was a teenager.

"Um, you're right. This is emb-"

"Embarrassing?" Enoch tongued the Adams apple protruding from Jake's throat, then hummed, making Jake shiver. "No, this is hot." Enoch lay him down slowly, tonguing at his skin down from his throat to his prominent hipbones. Jake couldn't supress the pleasured tremble that overcame him, a shiver in response to Enoch's wandering hands that brushed the sensitive skin over his ribs.

Jake's breath now was coming in pants, not helped by Enoch running his teeth over the translucent skin of his inner thigh, one hand coming up lazily to stroke him. Up, Down, up, down, up, Enoch pulled the skin between his teeth, down again and tighter this time. Jake choked and felt his hips instinctively buck.

Enoch was ... he was giving Jake a small smile, lips closed over the red mark and tongue soothing it gently, while his hand was lubed once more and returned to its position.

Jake loved him a little bit.

He shook his head, feeling his hair begin to clump together in strands because of the sweat. His cheeks were probably flushed to all hell, but his mind was beginning to clear. He was really into Enoch, he loved all the small parts about him and his strange habits, he loved how genuine and funny he was, and how quietly protective as well.

Jake was well aware of how good sex would make you think certain things that ... really weren't part of your usual behaviour. He wouldn't say it, he resolved, because it wasn't like he had known Enoch for that long.

But he sort of had. How long had it been? 3 months now? Would Enoch want to be his boyfriend?

Enoch, with no preface, swallowed Jake's cock in one go. Jake let out a pleasured yelp, his thoughts interrupted, and looked down to see Enoch looking up at him, mouth full and lips against his groin, suckling.

"Fuck," Jake breathed, reaching down to wind his hands in Enoch's hair. He didn't want this - well, he did, but not right now - he wanted Enoch to know how much he cared for him.

Jake slowly pulled Enoch off him and let go of his hair, tracing a cheekbone.

"Come here," he said, low, and Enoch obeyed. His eyes were almost rapturous as he crawled upward, finally settling with his legs over Jake's thighs, perched on his hips. Jake sat up placing his hands reverently on Enoch's back, then his ribs, then his hips. It was quiet, still, Jake and Enoch looking into one another's eyes and trying to catch their breath.  
Eventually, Jake leaned forward, kissed him slow and thorough, earning a whimper from Enoch. Then, he moved.

Once, with his hips, rubbing their erections together. When Enoch responded by pressing down, they both groaned into the kiss, and it wasn't long after that that they were moving in sync, finding a rhythm that gloriously pressed them together, making their nerves and muscles jump instinctively at each well-placed drag.

Jake kissed Enoch with a furiosity that had been uncovered now, it was love and passion and desire. Enoch was losing tension the longer they rocked in that bed, his hips moving almost unthinkingly and his lips barely able to keep up with Jake, who was going in again and again to claim Enoch's mouth, trying as hard as he could to convey this strange development.

There were grunts and moans from both sides, and eventually Enoch's eyes became watery and he choked out a whimper.

"J-Jake I'm-" Jake kissed him harder, taking Enoch in his hand and pumping him quickly, harshly, making Enoch almot cry out. It was over quickly - Enoch buried his face in Jake's neck and spilled over the both of them, and then it took just a few moments for Jake to get himself off. Together, the collapsed backwards and Enoch pulled a soft blanket over the both of them before snuggling close and closing his eyes. The two of them were out like a light within the minute.

 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When Jake woke Enoch was upright, for some reason. How he managed that, let alone why, was a mystery. Jake rolled over to nuzzle Enoch's hip, squeezing between one tense forearm and his thigh.

"Enoch?" He inquired softly. "Are you okay?" Enoch's breath came quick, then he opened his mouth.

"I'm not going to be an idiot about this." Jake sat up then, trying to make eye contact.

"Hey hey, what's going on?" He reached up and cupped Enoch's cheeks. "Babe-" 

Enoch pressed his own hand to Jake's, briefly, then pulled them away and put a bit of distance between them. Worry curled in Jake's gut, a familiar pit that forced him to take a few breaths of his own.

"Jake, I ... I really like you. And we've seen each other for a while. I would ... really like to know what your intentions are with me." Jake's brain took a few minutes to catch up, then he drew his eyebrows in a frown.

"Isn't your dad supposed to ask me that?" He murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"I've got no one, Jake. Just me. And I'm not... I-" He cut himself off. "Answer the question." Jake sighed, this was it then. He had been ecstatic last night at the prospect of actually making love, not just blowing each other in the bathtub.

They hadn't ever actually discussed this, though. It was one hook up after another and then a potluck with Jake's friends. And now this - a single afternoon spent in an embrace that forced both of them to reconsider what they were.

Enoch was a wild card here - he was passionate and ferocious while maintaining careful distance.

"Forget it," Enoch all but spat after Jake's silence made itself clear. He stood and made for the bathroom, but Jake made the split second decision to yell out to him and hope that he didn't end up regretting it.

Enoch paused, stress still bunched in his back and shoulders.

"What?" he asked, voice shaking. Jake didn't quite know how to take this reaction, because he had obviously been heard. Perhaps this was a giant mistake and he had dug his own grave here. Perhaps Enoch was looking for a casual fling and Jake had gone and done this. Let his eyes shine and wobble in the wake of such a beautiful man.

"I said," his own throat dry, "I think I'm falling in love with you." When Enoch turned, his eyes were watery.

"Really," he asked, in a tone that expertly fused mocking sarcasm with genuine disbelief.

"Really." Jake was firm, but didn't know if he could blurt the actual words out again. Not without guaging some response from Enoch first.

"That's funny, because I think I'm falling in love with you as well." Each consonant was enunciated and the splotchy blush that had now appeared over the many visible planes of bare skin seemed to vouch for Enoch's authenticity. Jake's muscles, corded and quivering in wait, finally melted until he was slumped forward, spine bowed like a fishing line. Enoch took a few shuffling steps forward, fiddling with the curls behind his ear. "Last night, it ... you ... I don't know what got into you really. I had felt such fondness and affection in increments ... seeing you pick up my favourite novel, joining a potluck with your friends. For me, that harshness that you had, the desperation, it's my default. I rarely socialise in a sexual manner, and when I do it's quick, hot, and powerful enough to sustain me for the next few months. Being aloft as you were, casual, the slowness and relaxation that I finally fell into last night - it was a new thing for me. So was seeing someone more than once. I suppose I should have seen it coming, but I was so worried when I woke up this morning that ... oh God, I'm not sure. That you acting the way I did meant that you were going to enjoy one last night with the weirdo with bones and then hightail it out of there with your spankbank." By now, Enoch had moved back to the bed and was looking out of a small porthole window at the garden beyond. With an exasperated sigh, Jake moved over and rested his head on the small of Enoch's back.

"Baby, I-" he halted a second, then moved on, "Enoch, I love your house here. I think it's so sweet and so you, I love your dumb sweater vests and frilly aprons and the fact that you're so unconventional and unashamed of it. You're a very brave man, and I fear you might be lonely, so I, er, if you're interested I ... " Jake lifted his head and allowed Enoch turn around, looking him dead in the eye. "Um, and not that I'm doing this out of pity; er, what I mean to say is that I suppose I was wondering if you wanted to be my boyfrie-" Enoch reached across and tilted their heads together before Jake could finish the sentiment, no tongue or movement, just an impassioned kiss that lasted for a second or two.

"Of course, baby," he said, forehead pressed to Jake's. "You read my mind."


End file.
